1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hemostatic agent comprising an alkali metal or alkali earth metal salt of carboxylmethyl cellulose. The present invention also relates to an agent for promoting cellular adhesion and an agent for curing an injury, which agent contains an alkali metal or alkali earth metal salt of carboxylmethyl cellulose. The hemostatic agent, the agent for promoting cellular adhesion, and the agent for curing an injury according to the present invention are assimilatable in a living body, and may be sprinkled on or applied to an injury to a skin surface or an injury at a site of an intracorporeal tissue to accelerate blood coagulation and cellular adhesion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Three types of hemostatic agents for injuries are mainly known; an oxidized cellulose preparation, a gelatin preparation and a microfibrous collagen preparation, and these are used as a drug or medical supply. The oxidized cellulose preparation includes polygluconic anhydrides as a main component. The polygluconic anhydride has a strong affinity for hemoglobin, and thus forms a salt with hemoglobin whereby a hemostatic effect is exhibited. It is believed that the above effect to promote coagulation is not due to a blood coagulation process in a living body but to a physical effect. That is, the oxidized cellulose preparation is swollen by an infiltration of blood to promote a formation of brown or black gelatinous clots or coagula, which act as a hemastatic auxiliary agent for a bleeding region. The oxidized cellulose preparation is assimilated in the course of about 2 weeks. The microfibrous collagen preparation contains, as a main component, naturally occurring collagen extracted from bovine dermis or the like, so that it forms a platelet-agglutination upon coming into contact with blood to conduct a hemostasis.